DNC chair calls for Iowa recanvass as analysis finds results are 'riddled with inconsistencies'

Tom Perez.
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The chair of the Democratic National Committee is calling for a recanvass in Iowa as a new report suggests the latest batch of results are "riddled with inconsistencies and other flaws."

Iowa Democrats on Wednesday continued to slowly but surely release results from Monday's caucuses, which were held up as the party cited inconsistencies and an app used to report results presented technical issues. As of Thursday morning, results from 97 percent of precincts had been reported, showing former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are nearly tied.

But The New York Times on Thursday reported that the Wednesday results are "riddled with inconsistencies and other flaws." The Times' analysis found that "more than 100 precincts reported results that were internally inconsistent, that were missing data or that were not possible under the complex rules of the Iowa caucuses." These issues, the Times wrote, raised "questions about whether the public will ever get a completely precise account of the Iowa results."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Later on Thursday, DNC Chair Tom Perez tweeted, "in light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass." This came before 100 percent of precincts have actually been reported; The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey asked, "Can you do a recount before you finish the first count?"

Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.